Byron Council retracts support for Love Island filming

Byron mayor Michael Lyon says the council no longer supports filming on Love Island for longer than 30 days and the minister responsible is backing him up.

Sophie Monk is the host of Love Island.

The production company behind romance reality show Love Island has failed to convince the Byron Shire’s mayor filming should go ahead in a hinterland mansion.

Filming was scheduled to begin on the set in Federal this weekend but Byron mayor Michael Lyon says he has written to Planning Minister Rob Stokes to tell him the council no longer supports filming of the program in the shire.

Minister Stokes has the final say in approving any filming that goes longer than 30 days and on Friday a spokesperson from his department confirmed they would not support any extended filming period.

The council had a meeting with the Love Island team from ITV Studios this week after Mr Lyon expressed concerns about the community being exposed to Covid-19.

This came after another ITV employee from Sydney who was working on the set of I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! in the Tweed Valley allegedly breached Covid-19 restrictions and the conditions of their travel exemption while infectious with the virus.

Sophie Monk and others in a previous season of Love Island. Supplied by Channel 9

“We had a chat but I’m not changing course,” Mr Lyon said.

Mr Lyon said he wrote to Minister Stokes to formally retract support for Love Island.

The council’s staff have confirmed the letter, drafted by the mayor overnight, has been sent to the Minister’s office.

“I think they had their chance,” Mr Lyon said.

“I think all non-essential travel from outside the region, from areas of concern or areas in lockdown that have cases, is a concern to our community.”

He said the recent situation involving an I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! makeup artist – who is now facing criminal charges – showed even strict testing regimes didn’t protect the community from exposure.

That makeup artist’s alleged actions have led to a fresh seven day lockdown for the Tweed and Byron Shires.

Chris Brown and Julia Morris host I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here. The set of that show, also produced by ITV studios, was linked to a Covid-19 case who has sparked a fresh lockdown for the Tweed and Byron Shires.

A Department of Planning, Industry and Environment spokeswoman said their position was clear.

“Our position has always been that the department would only provide an exemption pathway for the filming of Love Island if it had the support of the council,” she said.

“Byron Shire is a great place to film, but the health and safety of the community is our priority.”

She said the department had worked with the film industry to attract other big productions to the Byron Shire, including Nine Perfect Strangers.

Mr Lyon said ITV told him some of the jobs on the production may have gone to locals and he acknowledged the impact of pulling his support for the production.

“They did talk about up to 40 potential positions (of a total of 200) that could be locally sourced, so it’s not a small amount and that’s why it’s disappointing and sad,” Mr Lyon said.

“I do feel for those that were going to work on it.”

He said those people would still be able to work on the production for the 30 days of filming allowed without ministerial support.

Byron mayor Michael Lyon expressed concerns about the filming of Love Island in the hinterland village of Federal after a crew member on another ITV reality show filmed in the Byron Shire was in the community while infected with Covid-19.

An ITV Studios spokesman said in a statement it was “disappointed and sympathetic” to the impact the local Covid-19 case linked to their Tweed filming site had on the local region.

He said reports the infected woman attended a “wrap or finishing party” were incorrect and stressed she was “not involved in Love Island Australia in any way”.

“Any casual or close contacts of the crew member were isolated and immediately tested,” he said.

“All rapid testing undertaken on any crew has returned a negative result.”

He said close contacts of the makeup artist would have to complete 14 days of isolation while rigorous testing continues.

“As confirmed by NSW Health, this case is not related to any other cases of Covid in the northern NSW region,” he said.

“The crew member was engaged to work for one day only.”